Our Faculty
Accept the children with reverence, educate them with love,
send them forth in freedom.
~Rudolf Steiner
Julia Burke |
Ms. Julia, our Lower School teacher, was raised in Madison, Virginia on her family’s farm. She earned her BA in Health Arts and Sciences from Goddard College and graduated with her Master’s in Education in 2016. In 2016, Julia went to Long Way Home in Comalapa, Guatemala and interned at a vocational school focused on Democratic Education. In 2017, having returned to the states, Ms. Julia worked with Skyline Cap’s Madison Headstart program before finding her dream job at Hearthstone. She is currently enrolled at Sunbridge Institute to become a certified Waldorf teacher. “I come to this body of work with gratitude, love, and deep respect for the child. I teach because I love to learn and I love being able to cultivate that love of learning and exploring in others.”
|
Smith Cliffton |
Mr. Smith teaches Fitness. Mr. Smith is a former student of Hearthstone School and is an avid fitness enthusiast. He teaches youth martial arts at Stonewall Abby Wellness with co-owner Gordon Wicks. He also trains there himself studying the arts of jiu jitsu and kickboxing, while also expanding his knowledge of calisthenics and fitness.
|
Janet Kerig |
Ms. Janet teaches 1st/2nd Grade on Fridays and substitutes in the Nursery/Kindergarten. She earned her B.A. from the University of Maryland and has over 30 years of teaching experience. Ms. Janet is an exhibiting fiber artist and a percussionist. She specializes in earth basketry, wheat weaving, and children's folk art.
|
Kitty Keyser |
Ms. Kitty, our Nursery/Kindergarten teacher, is a certified Waldorf teacher and has taught at Hearthstone since 1996. She also teaches dance at the Mountainside School of Dance. “I teach because I love children. It is my way of serving society, to make this world a better place, because these children WILL do so! The reason I teach at Hearthstone is because it's a loving environment for the children, and it's a school that I feel is serving the children in the best way possible. Children have the right to an education that nourishes them in such a way to be whole, healthy, wise and loving human beings...an education that academically prepares them ... and that assists them in being good stewards of our planet.”
|
Brant Marlett |
Mr. Brant teaches High School, Spanish, Cooperative Games, and Music. He grew up in Rappahannock County and attended Virginia Tech, where he majored in English and Communications. After graduation, he moved to Nagoya, Japan and taught English for three years, studied Japanese, and traveled with his wife Claire. Then, they moved to Oaxaca, Mexico where Mr. Brant was a professor at several different universities, teaching classes in English, Spanish literature, culture, and advanced English grammar. After eight years of living in Mexico, he and his wife have returned to Rappahannock with their Mexican-adopted street dog, Burdi-B. In Mr. Brant’s free time, he enjoys mountain biking, playing chess, reading, and hiking. With 10 years of teaching experience all around the world, being exposed to many different cultures and ways of life, and a willingness to learn and listen, Mr. Brant is excited to bring his experiences and perspective to the students and community of Hearthstone. |
Anastasia Reuss |
Ms. Anastasia teaches in the Lower School. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing Management in 2018 and recently became a certified Rapid Transformational Therapist and Emotion Code practitioner in 2022. She enjoys living life through her heart and being of service to others. While working through her schooling, one of her favorite jobs was nannying and working with children. "It is a great purpose to be a leading, loving example, truly hearing children, and being completely present with them as they grow and evolve. My heart is filled with joy and appreciation every day I get to spend at Hearthstone."
|
Justine Rosenbaum |
Ms. Justine, our Middle School teacher, has a BFA in Ceramics from Indiana University where she participated in the Overseas Program in Dijon, France. She has a Teacher's License for grades 1 through 8 and taught in the Rappahannock County Public School system for three years. Ms. Justine has been teaching at Hearthstone School since 2003. She is particularly fond of introducing students to Gulliver's Travels as part of a magical exploration of mathematics.
|
Claire Schadler |
Ms. Claire teaches Junior High, Spanish, Creative Writing, and Drama. Ms. Claire grew up in Rappahannock County. After high school, she attended Bard College where she majored in Asian Studies, focusing on China. She then earned her Master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She has taught ESL to university students in China, Spain, Japan, and Mexico. For the last seven years, Ms. Claire has worked remotely as an education consultant for LaMeire College Consulting. In this role, she counsels high school students on summer opportunities (e.g. academic programs, volunteering, and faculty research). She also tutors students one-on-one in SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GMAT, and MCAT test preparation. She works closely with high school seniors throughout the college application process, helping them with their college essays and providing feedback throughout the application process.
Ms. Claire enjoys working with students to help them develop a love of learning that they can take with them into all other aspects of their lives. |
Aron Weisgerber |
Mr. Aron teaches outdoor education and wood carving.
He is a graduate of Hearthstone School and a lifelong student of Waldorf education. Mr. Aron is a graduate of Prescott College in Arizona, having studied Outdoor Education, Wilderness First Aid, Search and Rescue, Environmental Science, Sculpture, Photography, Business Management, Ecological Design, Rope Course Facilitation, Experiential Education, and Ecological Restoration. While Attending Prescott College, Mr. Aron worked for two years as a woodworking teacher at Mountain Oak Elementary, a Charter Waldorf school. Mr. Aron graduated from Prescott College with a major in Adventure Education with an emphasis in Wilderness Leadership and Program Management and a double minor, one in Environmental Studies and the second in the Arts. Since 1999, Mr. Aron has operated an outdoor summer camp for children and young adults in Rappahannock County. |